There's a Story at the Bottom of this Bottle
by footprintsonmyheart
Summary: Celeste and Vincent are new in town. Their arrival has caused unrest with the locals, especially with Sam. From the minute Sam saw Celeste, he was inexplicably drawn to her. But what is she? What secrets is she hiding? Sam is about to find out.
1. Chapter 1

Sam woke up to the crashing sound of thunder and sat straight up in his bed. For a wild moment, he thought someone had broken into the house, so he paused, listening. He heard nothing save for Mercy's light snoring from the other room and the pitter patter of rain on the roof of the trailer. He scoffed. As if he needed to worry about a human robber.

Sam glanced at the clock. Ten to four . He sighed and lay back down with his hands over his face. The last month had really put him on edge. Mercy had an uncanny knack for putting her nose where it didn't belong and that got her into a lot of trouble. Thankfully, her latest problem was over. The vampires had signed a peace treaty with the werewolves and that vampire in Spokane was dead. Mercy would be fine, for now anyway. Besides, she had Adam now.

He thought about this. He should have felt anger at the thought of Mercy and Adam but he couldn't muster it. He loved Mercy, but not as a mate, not like Adam loved her. Adam would make her happy because he really did love her and that was fine with Sam.

"So what am I still doing here?" Sam said out loud.

Even as he said it, he knew he didn't want to leave. He might not have ended up with the girl like he had planned but that wasn't so bad. At least Bran couldn't hear him all the way out here. Sam wondered what was left for him now. Bran would never agree to put him out of his misery and Sam certainly didn't have anything else to look forward to.

Sam sighed again. Maybe I should just take it a day at a time, Sam thought. Sam's thoughts wondered aimlessly for another few minutes before he decided to catch another few hours of sleep before work. When he closed his eyes, he found sleep easily.

* * *

"Vincent, I have a question for you," Celeste said as she walked out of her room. She walked over to the living room, where Vincent was watching TV with his feet up on her new table. She stood in front of the TV.

Vincent mumbled something about her being in the way and shifted so he could watch around her. Celeste turned around and pushed the power button on the television. Vincent groaned in protest. "What? That game is really important!"

Celeste turned her blazing green eyes on him. "You should have thought of that before you put those boxes in my room." They had just moved into Richland of the Tri-city area and bought an expensive three bedroom apartment. Celeste was working hard to make the new place feel like home and her efforts were being thwarted by Vincent.

"There are two other rooms, and you decided to put your stuff in the room that I already told you I was taking," she said, annoyed.

"Jeez, Celes, for someone as old as the dinosaurs, you sure are materialistic," Vincent said, grinning up at her.

Celeste narrowed her eyes in response. "Move your stuff or I will burn it."

His grin was gone and he got off the couch with haste, apparently believing that she would do it.

"And you're older than me by centuries, you asshole," she called back at him. She heard him laugh from the other room and smiled a little too, despite her annoyance.

She watched as he carried several heavy boxes effortlessly from her room to his, something no human could do. When he had deposited his boxes to his own room, he joined her in the living room.

He gracefully bowed very low to the ground. "I'm done, your Highness. Is there anything else you would like from me?"

"Watch it," she said still smiling. Vincent liked to call her "Princess" or variations of "your Highness" because he knew it bothered her.

Celeste went to the kitchen and got a glass of water, because there was nothing in the refrigerator just yet. She heard Vincent turn on the television and groan when he learned that his team was down several points. She looked out of the window and out to the dull gray sky. It hadn't stopped raining since last night. They got in late and slept in a hotel, since their beds hadn't been delivered until this morning.

She torn her gaze away from the dark Monday afternoon haze and looked around the apartment. There was still a lot of decorating left to do, something she would have to do between her hours at the hospital. She could have asked Vincent. He has excellent taste, but he has his own work to worry about. Vincent owns and runs several bars and lounges. His newest was right here in the Tri-cities, which was opening on Friday night. He should have been busy, but knowing Vince, he was probably on top of paperwork for the next month.

She glanced back into the living room where Vincent was watching her, instead of the television. "What?" she asked a little surprised.

"If you didn't want to leave home, why are we here?" he asked, his chocolate brown eyes piercing hers. Sometimes Vince joked around so much that she forgot just how smart and observant he was. She forgot that he always saw right through her act.

Celeste swallowed before she answered. "Of course I didn't want to leave home, but we had to. This is the best place to make a new start."

His eyes didn't leave her face. "They'll follow you here too, you know? They won't stop just because you left town."

Celeste closed her eyes and breathed out loudly. "Yeah, I know. I just…this will give me time to think about what I should do."

Vincent studied her face before looking back at the television. "Well, when you figure it out, you know I'll be right behind you."

Celeste opened her eyes and smiled at him. "Yeah, I know you will." Vincent would be there, just like he always was. That made her feel a little bit better, but only a little. She needed to come up with something before they found her again, but she had already thought about this a hundred times, always going in circles. She needed something to distract her and she knew just what it was. She tied her long dark hair up in a pony tail.

"I'm going shopping," she told Vincent.

"Big surprise there," Vincent said sarcastically.

Celeste went to her room to grab her purse. "I still need to get an outfit for my interview on Wednesday and one for your opening. Not to mention all the things we still need for the house," she said, feeling she needed to explain. She wasn't worried about the job interview. She was more than qualified but it was a formality and she still wanted to look her best.

"You bought an outfit for your interview when we were in New York City," Vincent said. He was now in the kitchen, looking into the empty fridge. "Oh, grab some beer on your way back."

Celeste looked at him. "Vincent..," she started.

"No," he said without looking at her.

"But-"

"No."

"Oh, come on! Please come with me. You're going to be so busy with managing the bar and I'm going to be busy with the hospital. Who knows when we will have time to hang out?" she pleaded.

When Vincent sighed, she knew she had won. She grinned. "Go and get dressed, I'll wait out by the car."

Defeated, Vincent walked to his room. "I hate you," he called over his shoulder.

Her grin widened.

* * *

Celeste and Vincent shopped for hours. Celeste managed to two possible outfits for her interview and three outfits she didn't have any occasions for. Vincent, despite his protests earlier, had managed to buy more than Celeste.

"You're a shopaholic," she told him as they pulled their bags from the trunk of Vincent's black Audi.

"I'm ashamed," Vincent said jokingly. "Let's put these groceries away, eat and then go out for a drink."

By the time they had finished eating, it was dark out. They got into Vincent's car again and drove, looking for a good place to have a drink.

"You know," Vincent said, glancing at Celeste as they continued their hunt, "when my bar opens, people won't have to do this. Everyone will know that my bar is the bar to go to." He smirked at her.

Celeste rolled her eyes and continued to look out her window, when she spotted a tall, thin balding man walking into a bar. Celeste swatted Vince to take a look. "That bald man over there. He's fae."

Vincent looked to where she was pointing and nodded. "Yeah, he is. And so is everyone else around that bar."

Celeste looked at the small crowd coming in and out. Vince was right. "Uncle Mike's," Celeste read out loud. She turned to Vince and smiled. "Let's go in."

Vincent groaned. "Celes, why do you always look for trouble? You know if we go in there, they will realize that we're not fae and they will demand to know who we are."

"This isn't just a fae bar." Celeste pointed to a young high school boy stepping into the bar. "He's a vampire." Celeste motioned for him to park his car.

Vince rolled his eyes. "Oh good, a vampire. That's _much _better." Vincent parked but didn't get out. "I'm your Guardian, Celes. How am I supposed to protect you if you dive head first into trouble?"

Celeste shifted to face him. She could tell from the look on his face that he was serious. "You don't have to protect me anymore. I'm centuries old. I've been in control of my powers for a long time now." She looked at her lap. "I told you before that you could leave if you wanted." Even as she said it, she knew it would hurt if Vincent left. He'd always been there for her and she didn't know what she would do if he was gone.

Vincent sensed that. "I would never leave you alone, Celes. Besides, I made a promise to your mother that I would protect you, no matter what or how old you get."

Celeste smiled at him. Sometimes she forgot that he was old enough to be her father. It was hard to tell with her kind, even to each other. "Thanks."

Vincent sighed and his serious face was gone. "Well, let's get this over with." They got out the car and began their small trek to the front doors of the bar.

Vincent quietly hummed the funeral march. Celeste swatted him with her purse.


	2. Chapter 2

The bustling bar was drowned in silence as soon as the pair stepped over the threshold. Celeste and Vincent dropped any emotion from their faces and simply walked over to the bar, like nothing was wrong. They were used to situations like this. They looked like ordinary people, but the fae, vampires and any other supernatural creatures could tell they were anything but by their scent. Vincent, being her Guardian and her teacher, had taught her that it was important to maintain no emotion when in these types of situation. Showing emotion might be taken as a weakness or sometimes, a challenge of power and that was dangerous.

They sat on two empty bar stools, on the far side of the bar, so they could face the whole room, and keep an eye out for trouble.

Vincent turned to the bartender. He was average height with wide shoulders. He had red hair and his bright hazel eyes were watching them with a mix of curiosity and suspicion. "Two Corona and Limes, please." Vincent wasn't loud but his voice was echoed through the hall.

Celeste smiled at the bartender, who smiled back and brought them their drinks. On seeing the bartender smile, the room began to buzz again. Celeste glanced at Vincent. He raised his bottle and clanked it against hers. They took a long pull from their bottles before setting them down.

They began to talk, but about nothing important. They talked about the weather, when and where they should go on vacation and the game. Celeste didn't watch sports much, but she played enough to be able to hold down a conversation about it. They ignored the constant glances and glares in their direction and kept to themselves.

It was when their conversation headed to the local news that the bartender came over again. "Can I get you guys anything else?" he asked with a slight Irish accent. They had already downed 7 bottles between the two of them, so they shook their heads. "I'm Uncle Mike. I own the place," he said staring at us. "Some of the regulars are talking. They wanna know what you are."

Vincent smirked and looked around the room. He did it to show that he wasn't afraid to meet eyes. "Straightforward, aren't they?"

Celeste leaned forward and rested her elbows on the bar, showing that she was comfortable and not afraid of anyone here either. "We're not human," she said simply.

"We can smell that," said someone. Celeste and Vincent turned to the voice. It was the vampire boy who looked like he was still in high school that had spoken. "We know what you're not. We want to know what you _are_."

Celeste stared at him and he stared back. She felt him trying to use his powers on her, but they didn't work. "That tickles," she said smirking at him. "What exactly are you trying to do?"

He looked taken aback for a second but then recomposed his face. He grimaced at her and got up. "Nothing."

Celeste blinked and he was gone. When she looked around, she realized that some of the fae looked afraid. She looked at Uncle Mike. "You asked what we are?" When he nodded, she continued. "We're Atlantians. From the fallen city of Atlantis."

Uncle Mike nodded again. "I've heard of your kind. What exactly are you doing here? If you're looking for trouble – "

Vincent interrupted him. "We aren't here to cause trouble. We've moved into the area. We're just trying to blend in, like everyone else." Everyone was watching them.

Uncle Mike looked at him like he didn't believe him. "Then why did you come here tonight? You must have known that you would stir some trouble."

Vincent shook his head. "We're making it known that we're here and that we're not a threat. The last thing we need is for someone to start a war in our home. We want to keep our true identities from the humans as much as you."

"Everyone here can witness that we are not looking for trouble," Celeste added loud enough for everyone to hear.

Uncle Mike nodded along with some others. "Alright, but Wulfe, that vampire that just left, is part of the local seethe and he's powerful. You should be careful."

Celeste nodded but didn't say thank you. He was fae, after all. "Leave that to us," she said getting up. Vincent paid for the drinks and got up as well.

When they stepped out the bar, Celeste heard the ruckus in the bar escalate again; no doubt they were talking about what just happened.

Vincent waited until they were in the car, before speaking. "He's right , you know? That vampire is dangerous."

Vince pulled out of the parking lot and began the drive home. Celeste didn't consider that vampire, Wulfe, to be much of a threat. When she voiced her opinion, Vincent shook his head. "I don't mean him alone. He's powerful enough to be highly ranked in his seethe. There's no doubt that he will tell his mistress about us. It's only a matter of time before they come looking for us. "

Celeste pulled down the visor and examined her reflection in the small mirror. Her eyeliner had smudged a little. Vincent sighed when she didn't reply. She dabbed at the smudged eyeliner with her ring finger, rubbing it out. There. All fixed.

She pulled the visor up and heard the heavy crunch of metal before she saw the figure crouched on the hood of the car. Celeste swore loudly. Vincent slammed on the brakes. The car screeched to a halt. Wulfe sneered at them and climbed off the hood of the car. Vincent got out of the car, cautiously.

"Looks like it was sooner," Celeste muttered, getting out of the car as well.

Vincent kept his eyes on Wulfe so Celeste used that opportunity to take a look their surroundings. She noticed the moonlit silhouettes of several figures, not far from them. The vampires had purposely chosen to intercept them at on a remote road that didn't have any lights. No witnesses. Celeste now turned her gaze on Wulfe, who was retreating back to the silhouettes.

Celeste moved ahead of Vincent, to show that she was the one that was in charge. Vincent was just behind her, to her right. The shadows moved into hearing distance but stayed out of reach. Celeste flexed her hands. Like I'd need to be that close to burn them to a crisp, Celeste thought.

Vincent caught the movement of her hands. He shot her a look that clearly said that they wouldn't fight unless it was absolutely necessary. She pretended not to see.

The numbers were uneven, Celeste noticed. There were 5 of them, with a young woman in the front who wore a serious expression. There were more of them, hiding in the darkness, out of sight. The breeze blew their way and the woman sniffed the air, closing her eyes. "You smell good," she said opening her eyes and looking at Vincent. "I'd love to have you for dinner."

Vincent smirked. "I don't date leeches."

The woman laughed. "Call me Marsilia." She laughed again but stopped short, her face serious again. She glanced at me, sizing me up.

Celeste met her gaze. "You must be the mistress of the local seethe."

"What are you?" she asked brusquely. "Wulfe told me that you managed to evade his feeding."

"He was trying to feed off of me?" Celeste asked, unable to help herself. "He can feed without physical contact?"

The woman tilted her head slightly. "I asked you a question first. It's rude not to answer."

Celeste thought of several other things that were rude but kept them to herself. "We're Atlantians, descendants of the people from the lost city of Atlantis," she said for the second time tonight.

Marsilia glanced at Wulfe, who nodded. "Why have you come here?" she asked.

Vincent spoke up this time. "We've taken up residence here. Your territorial laws don't affect our kind. We're free to move in and out, as we please. We haven't threatened your seethe in any way so we have no business with you, except of course, the bill I will be sending you for the damage to my car."

"You _are _a threat," Marsilia said, her voice echoing into the empty night. "Do you really expect that I would come out so far for something trivial?" The vampires by her side crouched, ready to strike at her word.

Vincent rolled his eyes. "We're honored."

Celeste narrowed her eyes at Marsilia but didn't get into a fighting stance like she would have liked to. "You don't know what we are or what we can do. Do you really want to start a war with us, not knowing who our allies may be? Because I assure you that you're entire seethe will be eradicated if you or any of your people lay so much as a finger on us. We have told you that we don't have business with you so either you believe us or you don't. It's your choice, lady."

Marsilia seemed to be judging the truth of her words. Before she had made her decision, a terrible inhuman cry erupted around them. One of the hidden vampires rushed forward with, towards Celeste.

Celeste immediately took up a fighting stance and turned just in time to block the vampire's first blow. The vampire stumbled backwards, obviously not expecting to be thwarted. Celeste took his confusion as her advantage and leapt back, letting Vincent get in front of her. Vincent pummeled his fist into the vampire's face with a bone-crunching sound, knocking the vampire back and off his feet.

Celeste heard a horrible scream but didn't have chance see what Vincent had done to that vampire because another vampire sprinted towards her, fangs barred. She flexed her hand and when the vampire was close enough, she shoved her open palm on his face, holding his face her hand. Flames erupted from the inside of her palm and the vampire shrieked in pain. His face quickly charred to black and the flames spread all over his body. Celeste turned to Vincent and saw that the vampire he was fighting was scorched to a crisp, body completely black. This all happened in a matter of seconds.

Celeste tried not to let the smell of burning flesh get to her. She kept the flames burning her the palm of her hand and turned to face Marsilia. "We told you not to start something."

Marsilia was watching the second vampire burn. She turned to Celeste. If Marsilia was afraid, she wasn't showing it, but there was something in her eyes. It was anger. "They acted of their own accord. They were dead before I could call them off." Each word was laced with bitterness.

Vincent spoke up. "We're going to overlook this and pretend that you agreed to our truce."

Marsilia hesitated and for a minute it looked like she was going to set her whole seethe loose on them but she must have realized that the risk was too great because she nodded. "Wulfe will have the documents ready."

"Great, send them our way and I'll send you the bill when I get my car fixed," Vincent said, dusting ash off his clothes.

Something popped up in Celeste's mind. "Oh, and there will probably be more of us coming in and out of the area. They are not to be attacked."

Marsilia looked at Celeste with her dark eyes. "Yes, that's all fine and well, but I'm still not sure what you are."

Celeste smiled, revealing nothing. "I told you, we're descendant s of Atlantis. You don't expect us to tell you all of our secrets, do you?"

Marsilia stared at her for a moment; Celeste guessed she was trying to thrall her. When she couldn't, she turned sharply on the spot and disappeared. The other vampires simply turned and darted away. One stayed back to clean the mess.

Celeste and Vincent looked at the damage to the car. Vincent looked upset as he fingered the huge dent, so Celeste said, "Don't cry. I'll drive you to the body shop tomorrow and it will be as good as new."

"What kind of vampire messes with a man's wheels?" Vincent yelled in reply. Celeste rolled her eyes as Vincent hugged his car, cooing "it's going to be okay, baby" over and over again.


	3. Chapter 3

Sam stood in the tiny bathroom of Mercy's two bedroom trailer. He wiped mirror and looked at his reflection. He stared at himself. He was dripping wet from his shower and naked. He started at his face in the mirror, as if he was willing himself to get over his state of depression. Sam smiled bitterly at himself. A depressed werewolf; what was so new about that? He was old. Sam knew old wolves wanted death more than anything. When everyone you know and love have died, what is there left? Sam understood, even if he would always have Da and Charles.

Snap out of it Sam, he told himself, turning away from his reflection. Even though he only turned from his reflection, Sam couldn't help but feel as if he was turning away from his true self. He was confused and angry and he didn't know what to do, so he just pretended that he wasn't. It was easier for him and for Mercy.

She always worried about him so he always pretended that he was happy. Sam sighed inwardly. He realized that he was making a mess on the floor. He grabbed a towel from the rack and wiped himself down. He wrapped it around his waist and wiped up the water on the floor. He threw that towel in the laundry hamper.

Sam heard Mercy as she shuffled about in the kitchen. He took a deep breath, and opened the door. He began to whistle a tune. Whistling was cheerful. He was cheerful.

Mercy looked up from the morning paper as she waited for the coffee. "You're in a good mood this morning," she smiled at him.

Sam smiled back and shrugged. "Just gotta love life." Okay, he was pushing it, but what else could he do.

Mercy gave him a strange look but then smiled. "Yeah."

Sam turned away from her and went to his bedroom. He looked out the window and saw that the clouds from yesterday still hadn't cleared. It seemed that the Sam wasn't the only one who was feeling under the weather.

* * *

"Wake up! My car needs me!" Vincent yelled from the doorway of Celeste's room. He had been yelling about his car for the last twenty minutes, but Celeste just buried herself deeper into her covers.

"Go away! It's too early!" she said angrily.

Vincent ignored her and rambled on from her doorway. "My car is _hurt_. She needs to be fixed! You promised me a ride. I _demand_ a ride!"

Celeste threw her pillow at him, which he easily dodged. "I order you to get out of my room!" she yelled, still lying down.

Vincent stopped whining and laughed. "Order me? Wow, Princess, you haven't _ordered_ me to do anything in decades. You must really want to sleep."

Celeste angrily sat up in bed. She took a deep breath, turned to Vincent and blew out all the air towards him. A power and unexpected wind pushed Vincent out of her room and he let out a cry of surprise as he hit the hallway wall. She raised her hand towards the door and the same gust of wind pushed her door shut, with a loud bang. Satisfied, she snuggled back into her covers.

"Fine! I can take a hint!" Vincent yelled angrily through the door.

* * *

About an hour later, Celeste was fully dressed. She had tried to go back to sleep but she felt bad for yelling at and pushing Vincent, so she went and got ready.

"Okay, I'm ready," she said to Vincent.

Vincent was sitting on the couch, flipping channels and pointedly not looking at her.

"Oh, come on! I already said I was sorry a hundred times. Stop acting like a twelve year old." He didn't reply, so she sighed, dramatically and turned her back to Vincent. "I guess I'll just change and go back to bed then and your car can fix herself."

"NO!" Vincent yelled, shooting up off the couch.

Celeste grinned, turning around. "Great! We're good then, right?" she asked, hopefully.

"Fine," Vincent mumbled. "But next time, I will char your ass."

Celeste snorted. "Yeah right. I'd like to see that happen."

She was more powerful than him, but Vincent had centuries of practice and perfect control of his powers. She could control her powers well enough, but not like Vincent. They used to spar often but lately, they hadn't had the time. Celeste made a mental note to find a remote and deserted field so they could spar without restraint, preferably somewhere without trees. Celeste cringed at the memory of the last time they'd sparred. They had gotten carried away and accidentally started a forest fire, which Celeste had to put out all alone.

Celeste told him about her mental note.

Vincent grinned. "I will _own _you!" he said excitedly.

Celeste laughed and grabbed her keys. Her car was in the basement parking lot of the apartment building. Celeste owned a black BMW m6. Vincent had picked it out for her. Celeste didn't care much about cars. She preferred motorcycles, but she couldn't drive them to work every day. To make it worse, the landlord of the apartment building wouldn't give them more than one parking space each, so she had to move her bikes and Vincent's other cars into storage just outside of Kennewick.

As Celeste and Vincent rode the elevator down to the basement, Celeste asked Vincent where they were headed.

Vincent pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket. "Well, I found this garage that deals exclusively with German-made cars, in the Yellow Pages. I think we should check them out," he said as he handed her the address. "They might be able to direct us to a good body shop."

Celeste examined the address. It was located in Kennewick. That wasn't too far off.

* * *

"Make a left here. Left! Left!" Vincent yelled in Celeste's ear.

Celeste made the left and pulled up in the parking lot of an old-looking garage. She parked the car and turned it off. "You're walking home," she told him as she stepped out of the car. It was not raining anymore, but the sky was dark. This, unfortunately, didn't cool the air, but only made it feel muggy and more humid than usual.

Vincent lifted his arms as if asking "what?" as Celeste walked away from him. The office was located right beside the parking lot.

He jogged to catch up with her. "Hey, Celes, you were kidding, right? Right?"

Celeste gave him a look and opened the door. The office was small but air conditioned. There was a desk up at the front, a small waiting area with plastic chairs and a door off to the side, which must have led to the garage . At the front desk was a young teenage boy with brown skin and black eyes. He was shuffling through paperwork and looked up as Celeste and Vincent entered.

He smiled brightly at Celeste. "Hey. What can I do for you?"

Vincent cleared his throat and stepped forward. "Yeah, I had a small accident with my Audi." Vincent reached into his pocket and held out a camera for the boy. "I understand this garage specializes in German-made cars and I –"

Vincent was interrupted when a woman ran through the side door. She skid to a halt, placing herself between Vincent and the boy, causing Vincent to jump back. She narrowed her eyes at Celeste and Vincent and didn't even look at the boy when he alarmingly asked her what was wrong. Vincent held his hands up in the air, like he was being arrested.

The woman had straight dark hair which was pulled back and eyes nearly as dark as her hair. She was wearing mechanics clothing and was covered in grease.

The air grew very tense. Inwardly, Celeste groaned. This was the third time this happened in the last twenty-four hours. What was up with this place?

The woman's eyes flashed angrily and Celeste saw that she wasn't just a normal human. There was something animalistic about her.

Vincent seemed to deduce the same conclusion. "Woah, woah. We're not looking for trouble. We just wanted our car fixed."

The woman didn't let down her guard. For the second time, the side door opened and a thin, balding man entered the room.

Celeste's eyes widened. "I saw you at the bar last night."

He nodded as the woman's eyes darted back and forth between us. The man nodded at her and she let her guard down but only slightly. "Gabriel, could you go and clean up the tools I was just using; I'm finished with the Mercedes."

The boy got up reluctantly, obviously he wanted to stay and find out what was going on. He gave Celeste and Vincent another glance, before he left the room, closing the door behind him.

"Who the hell are you?" she asked immediately. "You don't smell like anything I've ever met."

The woman smelled them from all the way in the garage, which meant that she was definitely not a human. She didn't give the vibe of a vampire or of a werewolf. What was she? Celeste looked at the balding man. "Would you care to explain?"

So he told her.

"Atlantians?" the woman asked with curious eyes. "I've never heard of your kind before."

Celeste nodded. "That's the point. So who are you?" Celeste asked. She was going to ask "what are you?" but that seemed a little rude.

"Sorry. I'm Mercedes Thompson. Just call me Mercy. I'm a Walker, coyote to be exact," she said, nodding at them. "And this is Zee."

"I'm Celeste Argeneau and this is Vincent Greyer," Celeste said nodding at Vincent.

Mercy hesitated before speaking. "I'm not really sure what to make of you guys, but Zee trusts you, so I guess I can too."

Vincent clapped his hands together. "Great! So now can I _please _get my baby fixed!" Without waiting for an answer, Vincent turned on his camera, and showed them the pictures he took of the damage to the car.

"Holy crap," she exclaimed. "What the hell did you do to that?"

Vincent handed her the camera to take a better look. "Batboy decided to take a joyride on the front of my car."

"Wulfe?" she asked, examining the pictures.

Vincent nodded as she handed him back the camera.

"If the car still works, there isn't anything I can do for you," Mercy said leaning against the front desk. "I only have old parts lying around."

"I know," Vincent said putting the camera back in his pocket. "I was hoping you could just get me in touch with a good body shop. I don't really know the area."

Celeste was surprised to hear Zee speak up. She had forgotten he was there. "I can make some calls and see if I can get that hood replaced for you. Bring the car by tomorrow morning."

Vincent nodded at him, because he couldn't say thank you to him. He turned to Mercy, holding his hand out. "It was nice meeting you," he said smiling his business-smile.

She shook his hand and then shook mine. "Yeah, you too."

Celeste nodded at Zee, before leaving with Vincent.

"Drop me off at the club," Vincent told Celeste, as they walked back to their car. "I have a lot of work to do before Friday."

* * *

Mercy waited until she had seen the pair drive off, before she turned to Zee. "Do you really trust them?" she asked skeptically.

Zee nodded. "I don't know much about them, except that they're strong, but I just know that they aren't here for trouble." Zee opened the side door and went back to the garage.

Mercy headed towards the phone by the desk. She picked it up and dialed. It rang a few times before someone answered. "Adam?" she breathed into the phone. "There's probably something you should know."


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:** I just wanted to take this opportunity to say thank you to everyone who's been reading this. I really appreciate the messages and the reviews. I was hoping for more reviews before I updated, but I really enjoy writing this story, so I will post it anyway. (Plus my sister would kill me if I stopped.) Anyway, this story is only posted on here, and , under the same user name of footprintsonmyheart. If you see it anywhere else, please, please, report it and contact me!

Also, you can check out my Mibba and Quizilla pages to see what the characters look like. I don't know how to do links on here, so just search for the story or my user name. Same title, same user name. Enjoy!

* * *

Adam cleared his throat and the room was immediately filled with. His normally spacious living room was piled with werewolves, all watching him with curious eyes.

Warren spoke up, as Adam scanned the room, making sure everyone was there. "What's going on?" he asked with his lazy Texas drawl.

Adam looked at Mercy, sitting on the couch beside where he stood. "Mercy encountered some strange people today," he started slowly. "Tell them what you told me."

Mercy stood up and told everyone about the mysterious newcomers.

"What do you mean you don't know what they are?" Darryl asked when she was finished. He gave her a skeptical look, that told Mercy that he still had it in for her.

"Well, they called themselves Atlantians but they didn't explain any further. They said that they are here to stay, blend in with the humans," Mercy shrugged. "Zee said he was at Mike's the night before and that they have a verbal treaty with the fae. Zee really believed them when they said they weren't a threat."

"Just because they say they're not a threat, doesn't mean they aren't," Sam said quietly from the corner of the room, gaining himself some glares.

Some of the pack weren't happy with Sam attending the meetings. Sam was one of the first to arrive and nearly every wolf that had followed was unhappy with his presence. Sam knew but he didn't care. He was dominant to everyone here. A few of the wolves looked as if they were about to pick a fight but their efforts were thwarted simply by meeting Sam's gaze.

Adam nodded in agreement. "There's word going around that these _Atlantians_ killed two vampires, in a matter of seconds, _in front_ of Marsilia. They apparently freaked her out so bad that she agreed to a treaty." Adam looked around and saw fear and concern in his pack's eyes.

Mercy shook her head. "I've met them. They're powerful, but I don't think they're lying. I could tell if they were lying and they weren't."

"But you just told us that Zee was at the bar when Wulfe tried to glamour them and it didn't work. How do you know that they aren't using their powers or whatever to make you believe them," Darryl said glaring at Mercy.

Mercy glared back at him and was about to argue but Adam interjected. "Mercy, you might not be affected by magic like normal people but we don't know much about them. They are strong enough to scare Marsilia, who knows what they're capable of."

Silence followed Adam's words. Everyone in the room digested this information. Mysterious strangers with unknown abilities and powers had taken up residence in the Tri-cities. They claim to be innocent but how can anyone be sure?

Ben sat by an open window, finishing off his cigarette. He spoke the words that were one everyone's tongue. "So what do we do now?" he asked.

Everyone looked to Adam with questioning eyes. Adam knew everyone wanted an answer. In truth, he didn't know what to make of the strangers. He wanted to believe Mercy but he didn't think he should risk the safety of the pack. He couldn't start a war with so little information, but he also couldn't ignore their presence in town.

Adam's eyes scanned the room, and when he met Mercy's eyes, he had made his decision.

* * *

Celeste looked at herself one last time in the mirror before leaving her room, grabbing her purse on the way out. She was dressed in the outfit she had bought with Vincent two nights ago.

Vincent was sitting at the breakfast counter, eating the breakfast he had made and reading what looked like an old newspaper. "'Morning," he said without looking up. He was intently reading an article.

"'Morning," she replied back. She got herself a piece of toast and poured a glass of orange juice.

"I found this in the front closet this morning. I guess the previous tenant left it here. You won't believe that shit that's on here," he said finally looking up.

Celeste leaned over the counter and took the paper from him. It was dated at about two months ago. Celeste scanned the headline.

**LOCAL WEREWOLF'S GIRLFRIEND RAPED**

Celeste looked at Vincent. "The werewolves came out in this city. So what? We heard that news all the way in New York."

"Keep reading," Vincent urged.

Celeste skimmed the article, finding nothing of use, until she hit the name of the woman. "Mercedes Thompson," Celeste said shocked. Celeste threw the paper down. "Shit."

Vincent nodded. "Yeah, and to top it off, her boyfriend, Adam Hauptman, is the Alpha. That means we're definitely getting a visit from the furry creatures."

Celeste picked up the paper and read the article again. "Maybe not. She didn't think we were a threat so maybe she won't tell them. Push come to shove, we'll have a written treaty with them too."

Vincent groaned. "All these rules and treaties are useless. We're probably not even going to be here for long, Celes."

Celeste frowned at him as he went back to eating his breakfast. She wanted to stay here, at least for a little while. She sighed and they ate the rest of their breakfast in silence.

* * *

"Miss Argeneau, we'd be honored to have you working at this hospital," the woman said shaking Celeste's hand enthusiastically. The woman was the Dean of Medicine for this hospital and looked extremely pleased with Celeste. "You will start tomorrow, nice and early." She walked Celeste out of her office and towards the front doors. "I hope the tour was sufficient enough for you to find your way around."

Celeste smiled at the woman. "Oh, yes. It was perfect. The ER ward looks like a great environment. Everyone there is so kind. It will be a pleasure to work here." Celeste was talking out of her ass. In truth, she hadn't paid much attention to the tour. She found herself bored of the woman's constant chatter and her mind wandered. So, to cover her own butt, she laid on the flattery, nice and thick.

Apparently, it worked because the Dean's face lit up. "Well, we just recently renovated it. Not to mention that our ER team is absolutely fantastic."

Celeste nodded and listened to the woman ramble some more about the ER team. They had reached the front doors already and Celeste was waiting for the woman to stop talking so she could zip out of here. Vincent had already texted her three times, asking how the interview went. When the Dean wasn't looking, she texted him back, telling him to wait. Inwardly, Celeste prayed that she wouldn't have to face the Dean every day.

"Actually," she prattled on, "Dr. Cornick is already supposed to be in. I guess he's running late today."

Celeste nodded, as if she knew what the Dean was talking about. "That's a shame. Perhaps I will run into him tomorrow."

"Yes, of course. Well you should be on your way. It was a pleasure meeting you, and I look forward to working with you." The woman shook Celeste's hand again.

"Yes, you too," Celeste lied with a smile. Celeste quickly exited through the automatic glass doors and when she was out of sight, she sighed in relief. When she reached the visitor's parking lot, Celeste got into her car and just as she was pulling out, her phone beeped and vibrated in her purse. She got it out. Of course, it was Vincent. She pushed the number one key and speed dialed Vincent.

"How did it go?" Vincent asked as soon as he picked up.

Celeste pulled out of the parking lot. "Terrible."

"You didn't get the job?" Vincent asked, surprised.

"No, I got the job, but I think I'm going to kill my boss."

Vincent laughed. "Same old Celeste."

* * *

Sam pulled into the employee's parking lot at top speed. He cursed when he realized that his normal parking space was taken. He quickly found another parking space and got out of the car as fast as he could.

He was _extremely _late for work. Last night's meeting had gone well into the morning. After Adam had made his decision, several wolves burst into disagreement. The disagreements quickly turned into challenges. Needless to say, some people where probably having a worse day than Sam. It didn't help Sam's case to say that he hadn't been sleeping properly before the meeting anyway.

As soon as he entered the building, the Dean was hounding him. "Dr. Cornick, where on Earth have you been? You're three hours late and you look like you just woke up."

Sam resisted the urge to tear her head off. "I _did _just wake up," he said shortly. He stepped around her and went to his office. She, unfortunately, followed.

"I'm willing to overlook this, Dr. Cornick, because you are a very good at what you do. But this sort of behavior…"

Sam tuned her out, and pulled on his scrubs. He left his office and headed to the ER ward. That's when it hit him. The scent was overpowering. It filled his senses completely. It wasn't unpleasant, in fact, it was incredible. He couldn't put his finger on what it smelled like. It was a mixture of several things, but he couldn't say what. He also realized that he couldn't tell what the scent was from. It wasn't from anything he had ever encountered before.

"Dr. Cornick?"

Sam's thoughts were halted and he looked around. Sam was standing in the middle of the hallway, obstructing traffic. Sam was glad he didn't inhale the scent deeply, like he wanted to because the Dean was staring at him like he was nuts.

"I was trying to remember if I turned the stove off or not," he said lamely. Centuries of life, and that was his best excuse. Pathetic, he thought to himself. "Sorry, you were saying?"

The Dean pursed her lips unhappily. "I was saying that there is a new addition to the team and it's your job to show her around tomorrow."

Sam's heart dropped into his stomach. The strange scent, a new addition to the team, it couldn't just be a coincidence. The scent belonged to one of the people Mercy was talking about; there was no doubt in Sam's mind. They got their car fixed from Mercy, and they got jobs. Mercy was right, they were trying to blend in. That meant Adam's plan...

Shit.

Shit, shit, shit.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: **FINALLY! Okay, I have no excuse for not updating this for a YEAR! But I'm BACK! I shall be updating more frequently. Thank you to everyone who messaged and stuck by me and to my sister who kept bugging me to continue with this! I hope you guys like it! LOVE YOU ALL!

Sam's wolf was restless. It was angry and frustrated. Sam felt confused. He tried to understand why his wolf felt such urgency towards the whole situation but couldn't come up with anything better than he was trying to do the right thing. Sam almost laughed out loud but managed to keep his face still; he was surrounded by his co-workers and several patients. His wolf was not really one to do the right thing. Still, he found it was best to trust his instincts in these situations and his instincts told him Adam was making a mistake.

Sam called Adam as soon as he realized that Adam's plan would cause a world of trouble for both parties involved and tried to convince him of that. Adam listened intently to what Sam had to say.

"We can't risk it," Adam sighed into the phone after Sam finished.

Alone in his office, Sam paced back and forth. "You don't know anything about them. You can't make a decision so rashly," Sam argued.

"Why are you suddenly so intent on protecting them now?" Yesterday at the meeting, Sam hadn't said a word. He merely sat back and listened.

Sam hesitated. He wasn't sure he wanted to tell Adam about his wolf's attachment to a scent. It sounded really stupid and irrational, even to him. "Look, I can't really explain it." Sam lowered his voice, "my wolf is on edge." It wasn't a lie but it wasn't the whole truth.

Adam was silent on the other end. "I'm sorry Sam. I can't jeopardize the safety of the pack, my family and their families on your gut feeling."

Sam rubbed his face in frustration. "I understand your predicament but ambushing them after hearing what they did to the seethe is suicide. You said that yourself yesterday. We have no idea what they are or what they can do."

Sam heard shuffling on the other end and then he heard Mercy's voice. "Hey Sam," she said. Her voice sounded distant but he heard her clearly with his sharp hearing. He hadn't seen her this morning because she had spent the night by Adam's. She must have been listening to the conversation.

"Hey Mercy," Sam replied, voice weary.

"Adam," she said, "one of them, Vincent, is dropping by the shop Thursday. That's tomorrow. Zee said he would help him fix his car. Maybe you can talk to him then? Just talk," she said firmly. "I tried to tell you yesterday. They don't seem that bad."

Sam had no problem with that. He knew the scent was female, so this Vincent must have been the man she came into town with. Inside, his wolf snarled, hoping the man was her father or brother.

He heard Adam sigh. "Fine." Without the influence of the pack around him, he gave into Mercy's pleading.

Sam nodded to himself. "Great. One of them works with me here. I haven't met her yet. She starts tomorrow. I'll keep an eye on her."

"Do you know what this Vincent does?" Adam asked.

Sam said no and heard Mercy say she didn't know either.

"I'll find out," Adam said and without another word, he hung up.

Sam hung up as well and began to prepare for a long day of work.

Throughout the day, as Sam worked, his mind drifted back to the unfamiliar and intoxicating scent. Sam grimaced at himself. He knew nothing about this woman and yet he and his wolf both were losing their minds.

This could be bad, Sam thought to himself. What if she turns out to be the enemy? What exactly did he expect to happen? What if she was fat, Sam laughed to himself. Sam's thoughts followed the same circular path over and over again all day and when he came home that evening, for the first time in a very long time, he felt the beginnings of a headache.

When Celeste woke up Thursday morning, Vincent was already gone. He left a note on the table saying he went to work.

She showered and dressed in her scrubs. She didn't feel like changing her clothes at work. Celeste absently wondered how Vincent had gotten to work. She pictured Vincent riding the bus, looking out of place in his designer jeans and leather jacket. Smiling to herself, she ate breakfast and read the newspaper Vincent had left on the table this morning. Nothing of interest really; a series of robberies, a missing child was found and brought home safely, the usual.

She finished her breakfast in silence and relished in the normalness of her morning. Her life has never been normal so she tried her hardest to cling to these small moments.

Celeste drove to work, listening to the idle chatter of radio hosts and sang along to terrible pop music, smiling the whole time. She loved it all. It was all so…human.

When she got to the hospital, she found her way to the ER lounge. She had been showed the door to it on her tour but hadn't had a chance to go inside. This room served as a break room for them as well as an office. It had a moderate sized TV on the wall adjacent to the door with a large couch and several chairs turned towards the TV. The wall furthest from the door was almost entirely made of glass. The blinds were open but not pushed back, letting in just the right amount of sunlight. On the left wall was a small kitchen area. The white counter held a coffee pot, one of those nifty electric kettles, a microwave, a dish rack and a double sink. Beside the sink was a refrigerator. The coffee pot was boiling but there was no one in the room. She wanted some coffee when that was done. On the far left side were two doors that both said changing rooms one for each sex.

Celeste went into the female changing room. It was a small area with two rows of lockers down the length of the side walls with a bench in between. Along the back wall there were another two doors that indicated the restroom and the shower area. Celeste found the locker with her name on it. It had a lock on it like those circular ones they always showed in movies about high school. She whirled the already memorized code into the lock and stowed her purse in. She dug her phone out of the purse and checked it. There was a missed call from Vincent as well as a text from him that read, "call me ASAP."

Frowning, she speed dialed his number.

He picked up on the first ring. "Celeste."

"You called? Is everything okay?" she said, worry in her voice.

"Everything is fine, for now. I went to drop off my car earlier this morning at Mercy's garage and her werewolf boyfriend was there waiting for me," he said gruffly from the other end. Celeste waited for him to continue. "He wanted to make sure we weren't going to cause any trouble so I told him the same thing we've been telling every damn supernatural being we've ran into for the last century. He didn't like the idea of us hanging around on his territory and he didn't agree to a truce just yet. Said he wants to keep an eye on us," he said with distaste. It was obvious that Vincent didn't like the idea of having someone watching us.

Celeste leaned against the lockers. "Well at least we didn't have to hurt anyone else. The less casualties, the better."

"He said he's already got one mutt working at the hospital to keep an eye on you. He wants me to employ another one at the club to keep me in check as well," Vincent growled.

Celeste shook her head. This Alpha seemed to know how to push Vincent's buttons. "And what did you say?"

"I told him my club doesn't allow pets," Vincent laughed.

Celeste laughed quietly. "Cheeky bastard."

"Well anyway, I agreed in the end because I know this stupid place means a lot to you."

Celeste raised an eyebrow. "Really?" she said disbelievingly. "You did that for me?"

Vincent sighed. "Okay, you got me. The wolf he wants me to hire is a babe. Her name is Honey," Vincent said. Celeste could practically hear him grinning.

Celeste rolled her eyes. "One track mind," she muttered. "Who's the one they sent to watch me?"

"Didn't give a name. Just said he was on your team."

"Great."

"Yeah well I gotta go now. I have a waitress to fire and Honey is coming in to learn the ropes," Vincent chuckled. "I bet I could teach her a thing or two."

Celeste hung up without a bye.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note**: Hey guys! I'm SO happy to post this one! I got several reviews and I'm really glad you guys like my story! I will definitely post another up soon! Please review or message me! I would love some constructive criticism. I promise you guys will learn more about Celeste and Vincent as the chapters update! =) ENJOY!

Celeste shut her locker and tucked her phone in the pocket of her scrubs. She heard voices out in the lounge now. She wondered if all the coffee was done. The door opened and a middle-aged woman walked into the small area. She looked surprised to see Celeste in there but put on a friendly smile.

"You must be the new girl," she said warmly. "I'm Doctor Dabrowski. You can call me Karolina." She held out her hand.

Celeste took it. "Celeste Argeneau. Polish?" she asked, referring to her last name.

The woman's smile grew. "Yes, actually. I was born there. Have you ever been to Poland?"

Celeste made idle chatter with the woman for a bit. She was pleasant to talk to and Celeste took an immediate liking to her. As they talked, a few more of their female colleagues filtered in, another one starting her shift and two finishing from the night before.

One of the night shift doctors was telling an animated story about her adventures from a few nights ago involving people Celeste didn't know. She excused herself from their company and went back into the lounge to get that coffee she'd been craving.

In the lounge, the TV was now on and there were two men sitting on the couch, sipping coffee and watching the news. There was a woman in the kitchen area, heating something in the microwave. Celeste hung back until she was finished before going to get herself a cup of coffee. She looked in the cupboards above the sink for an unused coffee mug, making a mental note to bring her own tomorrow.

She heard shuffling behind her as she reached for the freshly made coffee.

"That's my cup," a deep voice said.

Celeste immediately wanted to tell the man to fuck off, but held her tongue. Vincent was a bad influence. Celeste turned and found herself face to chest, for this man was very tall. She looked up at him. Not only was he tall, but he was built like a tank. The material of his blue scrubs stretched across his chest as he crossed his muscular arms.

Celeste's eyes travelled up to his face. He had striking features, like one of those doctors on TV who were much too handsome for their own good. His ash brown hair was streaked, like he had spent too much time in the sun, and fell into his piercing blue-gray eyes. His eyes stood out against his dark hair and thick lashes. He had a strong jaw and stubble that said gave off an I-don't-have-to-do-anything-to-look-good vibe. His lips were a pale pink and pulled back over perfect white teeth.

He smiled down at her and she realized he was being humorous, in an attempt to flirt.

She smiled back up at him, face portraying perfect innocence. "I'm sorry. It's just I left my own mug at home and I really needed some coffee." She looked down at the floor for a second, then back up at him. "I hope you don't mind." Vincent taught her that she can get any human man at her beck and call with this tactic. Look down and back up, playing coy. He called it the Coy Fish-Piranha Theorem. She didn't flirt to get her way often but she really wanted coffee.

When she looked back up at him, his eyes flashed in surprise but his smile never wavered. "Well, I suppose you can have it," he said in mock defeat. "I have another one anyway." He reached around her and grabbed another cup from the still open cupboard, but his eyes never left hers.

Celeste caught a glimpse of something in his eyes, something animalistic and suddenly she felt too close to the man. She moved towards the refrigerator to get some space between them with the excuse of wanting cream for her coffee. He made a strange face at her but continued to make his coffee, still watching her.

"Cream?" she asked him, out of politeness.

"No, thank you," he replied, his gaze focused on nothing but her. He watched her almost like she was prey. And then it hit her. He was the wolf that was on her ER team. How could she not have seen it before? She cursed at herself for making such a stupid mistake. Looking at him again, she realized it was his face. He had a face that you could trust and it seemed as if he never stopped smiling. She now noticed that the smile didn't always reach his eyes. His eyes showed weariness. He had to be an old wolf to be able to put up such a good act as well as to be able to control his bloodlust enough to work at a hospital.

He must have seen the realization on her face because his eyes became serious, but that smile never left his face. "I'm Doctor Samuel Cornick by the way."

"Celeste Argeneau," she said shortly, her voice no longer flirting.

He leaned against the counter, taking a sip of his coffee, to show her he was at ease. Celeste noted that he drank his coffee black and reached for the sugar jar on the counter. She ignored him, anger bubbling inside her. She felt his gaze still on her.

"Perhaps we should talk in the office," he said in a low voice. "I mean no harm."

Her eyes met his and she could tell he was being sincere but she was angry. Her whole life she had someone watching her every move. She had finally been able to break free that when she left home and now she was right back where she started.

She lowered her voice and leaned in. "I'm not here to play politics with you and your little pack. I have a job to do. I suggest you do yours and stay out of my way." She leaned back smiling brightly. With her coffee in hand, she turned on her heel and left him standing there.

Sam watched her walk away. His head was swimming. She not only smelled absolutely enticing but she was beautiful. He watched as her long black hair swung back and forth in its ponytail. Sam's wolf had a very vivid vision of her hair sprawled out across Sam's pillow. Sam shook his head, trying to clear his head. Nothing good would come out of getting too excited here.

He took his coffee into his office beside the lounge. He was using the office temporarily because he was filling in for the current head of department who was on vacation. He sat at his desk with his head in his hands. He sat there trying to get her out of his head.

Her bright green eyes flashed through his mind. They were the most stunning colour. When she was flirting with him, they danced with humour and mischievousness. Her smile was heart-stopping and it was soften by the dimples on each cheek. Bu when she realized what he was, her eyes blazed with anger and Sam couldn't get enough of it.

Sam didn't see her again the rest of the morning. Her scent lingered around the lounge and the ER ward, mixed in with the stinging scent of antiseptic. It was ever present but she was never anywhere to be found, not that Sam had much time to look. The hospital was busy, as usual. She had somehow managed to do her job and avoid him at the same time. Sam's wolf didn't like it one bit.

Sam discarded his dirty scrubs and washed his hands for lunch. He had rushed to work today, anxious to meet the mysterious woman, and forgot his lunch. He sauntered into the cafeteria and bought a big meal for himself. He wanted to be well-fed before he went back to do any surgeries. He looked around the cafeteria, deciding whether he should eat here or in his office and found her sitting at a table alone, with a book.

Sam couldn't help but grin. He maneuvered his way over to her. "May I sit here?" he asked smiling down at her.

Her eyes never left her book. "No."

Sam sat down anyway, ignoring the glare she gave him over the top of her book. "I think we got off on the wrong foot," Sam started.

She set down her book and raised an eyebrow. "So you're not here to keep an eye on me because your Alpha is too stubborn to agree to a treaty?"

Sam kept his voice low, to evade any eavesdroppers. People finding out he was a werewolf would definitely cost him his job. "Adam isn't my Alpha. I don't run with the pack. I'm a lone wolf, outside the pack. I offered to keep an eye on you for him so he didn't ambush you and your…companion."

Her eyes flashed with surprise. "Ambush? They were planning to ambush us? Why?" she growled.

Sam nodded. "Everyone heard about what you two did to Marsilia's vampires and the pack was restless. Their first instinct is to protect themselves and their families. No one knows anything about you so they immediately assumed you were a threat."

Celeste shook her head at him. "Marsilia's vampires attacked us while we were negotiating the treaty, young ones that lost control. We simply defended ourselves."

"That's why Adam's compromise was this. You can hardly blame him for being cautious," Sam reasoned.

Celeste nodded at him. "I understand." Her eyes met his and there was no longer anger behind them. "I apologize for being rude."

Sam grinned and leaned forward. "First you steal my mug and then you were just so mean. You'll definitely have to make it up to me."

She looked as if she was trying not to smile. "I guess I will."


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note – **Hey guys! Thank you so much for your reviews! I got some great constructive criticism from Relenting Tiara. She asked me if I was going to focus on the romance between Sam and Celeste or more on Celeste and Vincent and their development, which is a great question. I am trying my hardest to do both. I feel like I need to explain what their stories, but I still want that romance between her and Sam. So great question and I would love any other comments or questions! Enjoy the chapter!

Vincent shook his head at Celeste. "Fraternizing with the would-be enemy. I'm so very disappointed in you." He sat at the breakfast bar facing Celeste as she prepared dinner in the kitchen.

Celeste laughed. "Speak for yourself. Did you manage to teach your little girlfriend anything?"

"Honey? She has a mate," he muttered.

"So she shot you down," Celeste said grinning.

Vincent glared at her. "Shut up. She's obviously got a few screws loose. I'm a catch!" Vincent waved his hand over his face. "Who can say no to this face?"

Celeste shook her head at him, disbelievingly. "Girls with IQs higher than 70."

"Hey. I can get intelligent girls if I want. Remember that English professor in Tampa?" Vincent grinned at the memory. "She made the word coitus sexy. What a weekend." Vincent leaned over the counter and grabbed a peeled carrot from the cutting board. He examined it for a second then bit into it.

Celeste rolled her eyes, something she did often around Vincent. "It's because of guys like you I don't date."

"Woah, woah, woah. I'm gunna stop you right there. One, I am a perfect gentleman, until things get freaky-deeky –"

"Did you just say freaky-deeky?"

He ignored her, waving his carrot around. "- and two, you don't date because you're stuck up."

Celeste threw the tongs she was holding at him. "I am _not_ stuck up!" she shouted. "And you're lucky I didn't have a knife in my hand."

"Ow! I dropped my carrot!" Vincent disappeared behind the counter and came back up with his carrot in hand. He went over to the sink to wash it. "And you are stuck up. You always find a flaw in every guy you date."

He adopted a high-pitched voice to sound like Celeste. "His hair is too long. He's unhygienic. He's a kisses with too much tongue. Blah, blah, blah. I'm stuck up."

Celeste glared at him. "It's called having standards," she argued.

Vincent sat back in his chair at the breakfast bar. He snorted. "Hardly. So all we have to do is wait til you find something wrong with this Sean guy."

"Sam," Celeste corrected.

"Whatever." Vincent looked thoughtful for a moment. "You know, you might just get along with this guy."

"Why do you say that?" Celeste asked.

"Because werewolves are violent by nature and so are you. HEY! That was a knife!"

* * *

At work the following day, Celeste didn't see Sam. A rather chatty woman who worked the night shift told her that they were short staffed the previous night, so he had come in and worked till early morning. He had gone home before Celeste got to work.

The day passed without much excitement and soon Celeste found herself sitting in her apartment flipping through TV channels. She settled on the food network. She loved cooking and loved learning new dishes.

At around 7, Vincent burst through the front door, oozing excitement. "Tonight's the night," he sang loudly.

Celeste muted the TV. "What are you doing back here?" she asked. He had spent the entire day in his office at the club, working out final details and the like.

He grinned down at her. "Just came to hang out with you and to grab a change of clothes."

Celeste smiled. "Who's the bimbo you plan on taking with you tonight?"

If Vincent's grin got any bigger, he would look like the freaky smiling cat from Alice in Wonderland. "I have the pleasure of being escorted by two beautiful, leggy blondes tonight." He disappeared in his room.

"Do you even remember their names?" Celeste asked shaking her head.

Vincent popped out of his room. "Yes," he said indignantly. He paused.

Celeste made a game show buzzer sound. "Time's up. The answer we were looking for was Skank one and two."

Vincent laughed and went back into his room.

Celeste smiled smugly. Vincent would never change. She raised her voice so he could hear her. "Vince, I love you, but if you bring either home tonight, I will murder you."

Vincent came back out of his bedroom, with a towel hanging over one shoulder. "You're no fun," he whined as he stormed into the bathroom.

"Don't use all the hot water," Celeste called out. She sighed, knowing that Vincent was going to be in there forever.

As luck would have it, Vincent was in and out of the shower. His hair was fairly short, so he ran a comb through it and threw on his new Armani suit. It was clean cut and grey. He wore a crisp white dress shirt, a black tie and polished black dress shoes. He finished with an expensive looking watch and was out the door, to pick up his hookers dates. He bought a new car for the occasion, despite Celeste's attempts to talk him out of it. He would be sporting a shiny silver sports car for the evening. Vincent told her that it was a Lamborghini and was pretty excited about it.

Celeste was driving there on her own later, not really wanting to be photographed at the grand opening. Vincent would say something stupid like how she was his muse, just because he knew how much it bothered her to be in the spotlight.

At around 8, Celeste took a long shower and took her time to get ready. While she waited for her hair to dry, Celeste applied her makeup. Her outfit was rather flashy so she kept her makeup simple. She expertly layered a few neutral eyeshadows that allowed her emerald eyes to stand out. She applied some dark kohl eyeliner and a coat of mascara to her already full lashes. She dusted a pale pink blush over her cheeks and finished her look with a pinky nude lipstick.

She skillfully styled her dark mane in soft waves and let it fall freely around her face and down her back.

Celeste stepped into her beautiful silver sequined halter dress. The neck line dipped right between the breasts, showing a bit of cleavage. The dress hit a little bit above the knee and showed off a lot of leg. Celeste opted against earrings but put on a silver set of bangles. She picked out a large, glittering silver ring with a big pink stone in the middle and matched a metallic pink clutch with it. She put on metallic peep-toe pumps and was out the door.

When Celeste got to the club, it was already dark outside and almost 10. There was a huge line up along the side of the building and there was pounding music coming from inside. Two massive bouncers stood at the head of the line, both with ear pieces, one clutching a clipboard. Both meant to intimidate any trouble makers and they did certainly managed it.

Celeste walked up to the one with the clipboard, smiling brightly, despite the protests of the people in line. "Celeste Argeneau," she told him.

Celeste waited patiently while he looked her up and down. Finally, he looked at his clipboard for her name and then nodded at the other bouncer. The other bouncer unclipped the red velvet rope for Celeste and she went in.

The inside of the club was much like any other club. It was massive, with lounge couches surrounding a large open area designated for dancing. The place was furnished with modern low back lounge-type couches with solid black tables for drinks. It light up with strobe lights of every colour. The lounges were all occupied and the bar was swarmed. The dance floor was packed and bodies swayed to the heavy bass line of the song playing.

There was a spiraling stair case left of Celeste that she assumed lead to more seated areas and a bar to her right. She glanced up. People leaned against the railing, observing the dance floor from above. Behind the dance floor was a large glass booth raised on a slightly elevated platform. It was guarded by two bouncers. Celeste couldn't see Vincent from where she stood but she knew he was there. The whole area just screamed VIP.

Celeste made her way around the dance floor instead of across it and walked up the little set of stairs up to the platform. Without any word, one of the bouncers held the door open for her. The music was muffed in here but the pounding beat still pretty loud.

Vincent was inside, sitting on the couches, arms around his two dates for the night. With him were several men in suits Celeste didn't recognize. When he saw her, a grin broke out on his face and he came over to greet her, as if he hadn't seen her in ages.

"Celeste!" he cried. He hugged her tightly.

Celeste laughed and hugged back. She pulled away, gripping his forearms and looked at him. "Are you drunk already?" she mocked.

He laughed. "Not yet. Come on, I'll introduce you to some friends."

"Celeste," Vincent said loudly, gripping her shoulders from behind, "is one of my oldest friends and most definitely the closest. She's like a…sister to me."

Celeste smiled. He said sister but she knew he meant daughter. Vincent had practically raised her and while he wasn't really the father-type, he had his moments.

His "friends" were the bimbos he had for dates and the other men, Celeste learned, were business partners and potential clients. Vincent's business branched far beyond clubs and bars. He had a hand in nearly everything but not many people knew that. He remained behind the scenes and hired people to stand in for him every so often. To say he was rich was an understatement.

Vincent's dates eyed her distastefully but kept smiles on their faces, probably to appease Vincent. The men eyed her with hopeful looks Celeste but they behaved themselves, again, to stay under Vincent's good graces. Nothing screws up a business deal like sleeping with your partner's BFF.

Vincent ordered a round of drinks and Celeste sat down across from Vincent and his bimbos, settling beside a man who looked far too young to be a business shark. From inside, Celeste noticed that she had a clear view of everyone that came in as well as the dance floor.

Vincent was telling an animated story and everyone listened as if he was speaking the words of God. She smiled, knowing Vincent was in his element. He had the ability to capture the attention of everyone in the room. He stood out amoung crowds, no magic or glamour needed. It was simply part of his charm. His good looks and demanding personality drew people to him like moth to a flame.

Soon conversations branched out and Celeste found herself talking to the young man beside her. He was cute but a complete bore. He said his name, but Celeste couldn't remember it now. As Celeste pretended to listen to him talk about what he did, she wondered if Vincent was right. What if she was stuck up?

Celeste glanced at Vincent who was flirting with both his dates. Vincent was rather promiscuous, usually bedding different girls every week. Most of the girls he slept with were well beneath him but he never complained, so Celeste didn't either. Much.

Celeste took in their outfits. Both were wearing very tight, mini-dresses that left little to the imagination. In fact, Celeste had been flashed a few times since she had arrived and was thankful they at least remembered to wear underwear.

She tuned back into what the young man was saying, just in time to catch his question. "So what do you do?"

One of the bouncers standing in front of the booth came in and went over to Vincent.

Celeste smiled at the young man. "I –" Vincent caught Celeste's eye and nodded towards the doors. She looked out of the glass booth and to the entrance. "I have to go. Excuse me." Celeste exited the booth quickly and Vincent followed her, excusing himself as well.

Vincent and Celeste both eyed the group of people standing near the entrance. They were looking around, taking in the vibe of the club. Celeste recognized some of them, but not all.

Celeste stepped closer to Vincent to talk to him. "What are they doing here?" Celeste asked.

"Playing politics I'm assuming," he said lowly. "I can't leave these people without looking suspicious so you're going to have to play host."

Celeste nodded and quickly made her way over to the group. She put on a stiff smile and stepped in front of the man who was clearly in charge. "You must be Adam Hauptman. I've heard so much about you."

**Author's Note #2 – **I can't post links here but if you guys pop by my quizilla or mibba pages with the same username and same story title, you guys can see some banners I have for this story as well as the outfits Celeste and Vincent wore for the club opening. Its not important but I like looking at banners and outfits. =)


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: **Hey guys! I got a few things to say this week. Firstly, sorry my update is a super(!) late, but to be honest, this chapter was sort of hard to write. I wanted to be true to the story in terms of how werewolves think and behave. After much complaining to my sister and many, many rewrites, I finally got a chapter I didn't hate. Secondly, I'm trying to take the story slow because I know that I can't read stories that rush into everything, so bear with me here. I'm trying to be as accurate as possible. Thirdly, I apologize for any grammatical errors. It's hard to edit my own work and my sister sucks at editing, but she's an excellent motivator. And finally, I'm really thankful to everyone who's been reviewing and messaging me. It really does mean a lot to me. Okay, that's enough from me. Enjoy! =)

* * *

"You must be Adam Hauptman. I've heard so much about you."

Adam Hauptman was a very good looking man. He had deep brown eyes and his hair was cropped short. He was dressed in a spiffy three piece suit. What Celeste noticed most was his presence. It was demanding. Every woman in the room looked at him and it was more than just being Alpha. He reminded her of Vincent in that sense but he was much more reserved. Adam's face held no expression but his eyes told Celeste that he was being very cautious. "I've heard quite a few things about you too. You are Celeste, correct?"

"I am." Celeste looked over to the bar, where she saw the only woman working amoung several other male bartenders. She had long golden brown hair and was absolutely stunning. There was a large crowd of men at the bar, most likely trying to get more than just a drink from her. Celeste guessed that she was Honey. "Your girl is working over at the bar. She's safe."

Adam nodded and as if he was given a secret signal, one of the men in the group walked away from us and towards the bar.

Celeste looked past Adam and saw that he had brought several members of his pack with him. Mercy was there too. She wasn't standing behind Adam but she wasn't standing beside him either. She was just off the side and looked like she wasn't sure what to do with herself. She smiled sheepishly at Celeste when their eyes met, as if she was embarrassed about the whole thing. Celeste smiled back. "It's good to see you again Mercy." Celeste's eyes travelled along the group but she didn't recognize any of the other men, except for one. Hanging around in the very back, was Sam. "Samuel. I didn't expect to see you here."

Sam smiled at her but didn't get to speak because Mercy gave Adam a look and he cleared his throat to speak. "We are not here to fight. Just…observing," he said slowly.

His face told Celeste that this was his way of extending a temporary treaty. Celeste got the feeling that this wasn't totally Adam's idea but he was trying. "We appreciate the effort. It makes life a hell of a lot easier for us." Celeste smiled pleasantly. "Now who are your guests?"

Adam shifted his body so Celeste could see the people behind him but he never turned his back to her. Behind him, to the right was a large man, easily over six feet tall. He looked to be of African American descent with a mix of something else. Celeste wanted to say Chinese but she wasn't sure. He was dressed a very expensive looking suit. His face held a look of unease and caution.

Beside him was a cowboy. Hat, boots and all. There was a ruggedness about him that was very handsome. He wore a crisp white dress shirt tucked into blue jeans. He was underdressed and definitely looked out of place but he didn't seem to mind. His face was just as telling as Adam but Celeste could tell he was being watchful. Beside him was a sharply dressed man with dark brown hair that was gelled back. Celeste could tell he was mundane and that he was gay. He was looking around at the club but when Adam stopped speaking, turned his attention back to what was happening. He didn't look confused so Celeste assumed he was up to date with the situation. He stood close to the cowboy and Celeste put two and two together.

Behind the cowboy was a tall, slim man, also dressed in a suit. He was taller than Adam but not taller than the African American man. He had hair so pale, it looked almost white. His mouth was turned up in sneer and he seemed to be enjoying the whole confrontation. His eyes were on Celeste and they held with more than just caution. It was curiosity.

Lingering in the very back was Samuel. His eyes met with Celeste's again and he smiled warmly. The first time Celeste had met him, he was in scrubs and had a five o'clock shadow. Now, he was dressed in a handsome black suit. He wore a crisp white shirt and a dark blue tie. His hair was combed back neatly. He had also shaved. Celeste liked the clean look on him. He made him all the more handsome. Celeste tore her eyes away from him with some effort.

Adam nodded at each of them. "This is Darryl and Warren. This is Warren's mate Kyle. And that is Ben. You already know Samuel. The one over at the bar is Peter. He is Honey's mate. "

Celeste smiled at each of them, careful not to make direct eye contact. "It's a pleasure to meet you all. Help yourselves to some drinks. It's on us."

Adam thanked her, linked arms with Mercy and walked away. Darryl, Warren and Kyle trailed behind them. Ben lingered for a moment, looking as if he wanted to speak to Celeste, but Sam stepped in front of him. He had his back to her so she didn't see the expression on his face but she could see Ben's face. It flashed with surprise before he averted his eyes and followed the rest.

Sam came over to her. She wanted to ask him what that was about, but decided to hold her tongue for now. His eyes travelled up and down her body. Celeste smiled inwardly.

"You look very nice," he said finally. His eyes met hers and something flickered behind his blue-grey eyes. His eyes were now an icy blue with black ringed irises. The look he gave Celeste was filled with desire, lust and something else Celeste did not understand.

A shiver ran down her spine and she realized that she was a little scared. Unfortunately, Sam seemed to smell that fear. The look in his icy eyes grew more intense before he blinked and his eyes settled back into their normal hue.

A look of surprise flickered across his handsome face. "I'm sorry," he said quickly. He took a step forward and Celeste resisted the urge to step back. "That was, I-"

"No, it was my fault. Meeting eyes with a dominant wolf and all," Celeste said, knowing that wasn't it at all.

Sam gave her a look but didn't argue. "Yes. Of course."

It was at that moment that Vincent decided to make his grand reappearance. He sauntered over and threw a protective arm over Celeste's shoulder. "Celeste, everything okay here?" He was talking to her but he kept his eyes on Sam.

Celeste glanced at Sam, who also kept eyes on Vincent. Celeste couldn't read the expression in his eyes but she knew the look on Vincent's face all too well. He was trying to psych Samuel out. It worked with human men. They would turn and run the second Vincent appeared. Samuel held his ground and stared Vincent down. The testosterone level was suffocating.

Celeste spoke up. "Everything is fine. This is Samuel. He and I work together. Samuel, this is Vincent Greyer. My, uh, friend."

Sam moved his gaze over to Celeste and his eyes were once again that strange frosty blue and filled with anger. He turned back to Vincent. "I think I will go have a drink. See you later Celeste." He gave me a final glance before he strode over to the bar and joined the rest of the pack.

The look held some sort of meaning, but Celeste just didn't know what.

When he was far enough, Celeste pushed Vincent away and punched him in the arm. He pulled back looking bewildered. "Hey!" he cried in protest.

"I should have punched you in the face. What the hell was that, Vince?" Celeste said angrily. He had deliberately provoked Samuel, knowing full-well that he is a werewolf and an old one at that.

Vincent held his hands up in defense. "I'm sorry. It was out of instinct. I promised your –"

"Don't give me that "promised your mother" bullshit. She died a long time ago."

"I am still your Guardian. I swore to protect you and I will not let anything happen to you," he said lowly.

"I am not a child. I can protect myself," Celeste said through gritted teeth. She turned on her heel and storming off to the VIP booth.

* * *

Samuel walked away, trying to regain his control. His wolf had snuck up on him twice in the last five minutes and it was worrying. It had been a very long time since he had let himself slip up like that. He was beyond angry. He wanted to rip that man into pieces and laugh as he bled all over the floor. He might have done it too, if he hadn't heard her voice. He'd felt her fear and he immediately knew that killing that man would have been disastrous.

He heard Celeste's raised voice but he couldn't make out the words. He resisted the urge to turn around and made a beeline for the bar. Mercy stepped away from Adam to greet Samuel. She took one look at his eyes and took an involuntary step back. "Sam?"

Samuel blinked and his eyes filtered back to their normal shade as he finally took back the reins. He forced a smile on his lips. "Mercy. Want a drink?"

She looked at him with worrying eyes but smiled and held up the glass in her hands. "Got one."

Samuel let out a breath. "Good, good. I think I need a drink." Samuel felt someone watching him. He turned to meet Adam's gaze. Adam was watching him with scrutinizing look. Samuel sat down on an unoccupied bar stool and swiveled around to the bar. He ordered a whiskey, downed it and ordered another one. He found himself, for the first time in a long time, saddened that he couldn't drink away his problems.

Adam came over to him. "You let your wolf out to play," he said lightly. "You were insistent on keeping things peaceful so I would have been surprised if you killed her."

Samuel gave Adam a look.

Realization dawned on Adam's face. "You wanted to kill _him_. For touching her?" he guessed accurately. Adam laughed softly.

Samuel didn't say anything. He wasn't in the mood for games. His wolf was grumpy that he had lost to that man. What is he to her anyway? He took a sip from his glass, enjoying the taste of the alcohol.

Adam continued. "They're not lovers, if you want to know," he said offhandedly.

Samuel's head snapped towards Adam and Adam grinned, knowing he had said the right thing. "How do you know?" Samuel asked quietly.

Adam nodded his head in the direction of the VIP booth way at the back of the room. Samuel saw Vincent inside, with his arms around two blonde women. He leaned down and locked lips with one of them and then with the other. Celeste was inside as well, sitting across from Vincent, looking unconcerned with his activities and bored with the man she was talking to.

Samuel smiled a little. Adam shook his head, laughing again and then turned to face Samuel with a serious look on his face. "While I can't tell you what to do, I would like to ask that you refrain from stirring up too much trouble with those two." Adam tapped the bar with his knuckles and went back to Mercy, who was eavesdropping. She gave Samuel a look but he ignored it and turned back to face the bar, sipping on his drink.

The group conversed and laughed with each other, enjoying the drinks and the music. An hour or so later, the group began to disperse.

Warren and Kyle took off because Kyle had work the next morning. Darryl had also taken off, not wanting to stay away from Auriele for too long. Adam and Mercy had nabbed some seats beside the dance floor and looked like they were enjoying themselves. Ben had disappeared with a busty but not without a warning look from Adam. Peter sat off to the side of the bar waiting for Honey to get off work.

Samuel sat alone at one of the bar stools. The other side of the large bar had no stools but had a long line of customers, either waiting for drinks or for a shot at nabbing Honey's number. Samuel absently wondered how Peter managed to contain his anger when every man in the place was whistling at his girl.

"Is this seat taken?" a voice shouted over the music.

Samuel didn't even need to turn around. He'd recognize that voice and that scent anywhere. "Nope," he said, popping the "p." Samuel couldn't help but smile as he watched Celeste gracefully take her seat.

She flipped her hair to one side, sending Samuel a breeze that smelled like vanilla. His wolf nearly jumped out of his throat. He was going ballistic and Samuel was afraid he was going to kill everyone in sight. He closed his eyes, trying to keep control of himself. "Are you alright?" she asked him with a concerned look.

Samuel opened his eyes, using every ounce of will to keep his wolf down. He didn't want to scare her away or hurt her. He smiled at her. "I'm fine. Just had one too many drinks."

She raised an eyebrow at him and laughed. "Nice try but I happen to know that alcohol doesn't affect your kind the same way it affects the rest of us. Are you sure you're okay?"

Her laugh was a sound that pleased his wolf and he settled, if only a little. "I'm perfect. So what are you doing here? Isn't your boyfriend going to get angry at you?" Samuel already knew she was going to say he wasn't her boyfriend, but he wanted to hear it himself.

She sighed. "Vincent isn't my boyfriend. He was just being protective earlier. We aren't exactly welcomed with open arms anywhere so he's just doing what he thinks is best for my safety."

"What exactly are you two? Like to each other," Samuel clarified.

"I've known Vincent my entire life. He was a good friend of my mother's and when she passed on, she asked him to keep an eye on me. He's the closest person in my life and has been for a long time. We're friends but he's also like a father to me." There was a sad smile on her face which made Samuel's wolf angry.

Celeste leaned against the bar, propped up by her elbows and waved a bartender down. She ordered a Gin and Tonic and another whiskey for Samuel. She smiled at him. "If you don't mind me asking, how old are you?" she asked leaning towards him.

"I'll answer if you answer," he replied leaning forward as well.

"I'm 25," Celeste answered pulling back indignantly.

Samuel laughed. "Believable but the way you hold yourself isn't common for girls of this generation. It's almost…regal," he said thoughtfully.

She visibly stiffed and cleared her throat. "Over 1000 years old. Vincent is almost twice my age."

Samuel's eyes widened a little. "I wasn't expecting that. I'm almost 1000 years old myself."

Celeste nodded, as if she had already known. "You're dominant, I can tell that much. And you're definitely stronger than Adam. How come you aren't the Alpha of this pack?"

Samuel shrugged. "I don't really want to be Alpha." He paused. "How could you tell I was stronger than Adam?"

It was her turn to shrug. "I could tell by your eyes. Adam is strong but I sense something more powerful in you."

Samuel wasn't sure how to respond so he asked another question. "How is it that you are able to live that long?"

Celeste smiled at him and her eyes flashed with the same humour and mischievousness he saw the first they met. "I can't just tell you all my secrets over a few drinks, Mr. Cornick."

Samuel sighed dramatically. "I guess I'll just have to work harder then."

Celeste met Samuel's eyes and didn't look away even when they flashed an icy blue. Her lips turned up in smile, as if she knew something he didn't. "I guess so."

* * *

Celeste found herself really enjoying Samuel's company. He was funny and charming. There were moments were she almost forgot he was a werewolf. They kept to small talk, carefully avoiding any personal questions or stories. She found out he liked to cook, listened to heavy metal and played a few instruments.

After a bit of prodding on his part, she confessed that she could play the piano but also admitted that she hadn't done so in a very long time.

He frowned at her.

"Celeste," a voice called.

Samuel and Celeste both turned away from the bar and towards the voice. Vincent was strolling over with his dates, an arm around each. He took his arms off of them to talk to Celeste. "I, uh, I'm gonna go now," he said shifting on the spot. He looked awkward and that was rare for Vincent.

Celeste crossed her arms. "Yeah alright. But they still can't come over. I don't want to have to be the one to tell them to scram in the morning," she said with a smile. And just like that, everything was okay between the two of them.

Vincent face lit up like a kid on Christmas. He stepped forward and kissed her forehead. He turned to Samuel and gave him a head nod.

Samuel nodded back but didn't reply.

Celeste smiled. "Bye Vince."

Vincent grinned at the two of them. "You kids have fun. Don't do anything I would."

Celeste watched him walk away with the two girls. "I wouldn't dream of it," she said laughing. She pulled her phone from her clutch to check the time. It was just past 2. She had been talking to Samuel for hours. "I think I should get going too," she said hopping off the bar stool.

Samuel stood up as well. "Why don't I walk you to your car?"

Celeste smiled up at him. "Who said chivalry's dead?"


End file.
